January 14, 2009

Season recap: L.A. Goree

When asked if one particular play made by Maryland linebacker recruit L.A. Goree stood out among the rest this fall, C.H. Flowers coach Mike Mayo drew a blank.

It wasn’t for lack of options to choose from, Mayo said. It was just difficult to isolate one moment in a season full of big games.

“He’s pretty steady in every game,” Mayo said. “He’s the one kid I didn’t have to worry about. You can always count on him making plays. He showed up every game. Even in games we lost, he would still be outstanding at that spot. A lot of teams ran away from him. They were well aware of him. They would go the other way, or they’d try him and he’d shut it down.”

Goree, a two-year starter at outside linebacker for the Jaguars, recorded 90 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries (one of which he returned for a touchdown) as a senior. Offensively, Goree caught six passes for 140 yards and two scores. Flowers went 10-2 with a runner-up finish in the Maryland 4A South region.

“[Goree’s best attributes are his] speed, his mobility, he’s pretty smart and his toughness,” Mayo said. “Being able to rush the passer as well as drop into coverage [are also strengths]. ... He’s very athletic and has good hands. He’s a playmaker.”

Mayo said it might take a little time, but eventually Goree will make an impact for the Terps.

“I just hope it works out for [Goree and Maryland],” Mayo said. “I think he could go in there and help them a lot. I know they were losing quite a few linebackers. How soon that will come, I don’t know. He may sit for a year or two and develop, I don’t know. But I know if he stays there and does what he’s supposed to do, he’ll be a player for them.”

Post a comment

All comments must be approved by the blog author. Please do not resubmit comments if they do not immediately appear. You are not required to use your full name when posting, but you should use a real e-mail address. Comments may be republished in print, but we will not publish your e-mail address. Our full Terms of Service are available here.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)

Please enter the letter "d" in the field below:

About Matt Bracken

Matt Bracken was a lightly recruited football and tennis prospect out of East Lansing (Mich.) High School in 2001, but spurned all (nonexistent) scholarship offers to attend the University of Michigan. Matt graduated from UM in 2005, earned a master's degree in new media journalism from Northwestern University in 2006, and spent the first 11 months of his career as an online producer / videographer / blogger at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson. He has worked at The Baltimore Sun since July 2007, where he currently serves as the deputy sports editor for digital.